Rusted Labyrinth
by MuiromeM
Summary: Mystery letters come and 9 nations find themselves trapped in a maze with a mind of it's own, lives on the line! One way leads out; find the maze's center. Doors block their path posing deadly riddles and tasks. Answer wrong... and there's no way out...


**A/N: Hi everyone! This is my first full Hetalia fanfic, so I hope everyone likes it. The prologue is majorly short, but I promise that the rest of the chapters won't be, so bear with me. I just had to start it this way, but the characters actually come in next chapter. I don't know how well this will go since I've been having writers block recently, so it may take a while for any updates as I haven't got the entire thing perfectly planned out.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**Rated T for safety, expect minor swear words, possibly some blood but minimal, and that sort of thing. The only pairings I like are: FrUk, RoChu, GerIta but only fluffy stuff, I don't like graphic crap. So, i****f you're looking for USUK, sorry folks, look elsewhere. I support the FACE (or CAFE) family.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. If I did, this would be turned into a movie, and you could bet there'd be a lot more FrUk in the anime... XD**

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Prologue

The once beautiful and glorious courtyard turned dim at a moment's call, wind chilling the atmosphere as a breath of autumn in spring. In such little time the flowers and lush greenery seemed to have wilted with the change, a garden of elegance turned to not.

What little sunlight the overcast permitted through turned dark from rainless clouds, painting all that surrounded in an overtone of gray. Shadows blended and vanished as their source was lost, setting the scene as one of slowly deepening depression.

Amidst such a grim setting, nine sets of varying eyes turned back to where each had once entered, allerted by the grating sound of a gargantuan door slowly slamming shut. The once jovial mood of the day passed now lay forgotten, questions arising from those within.

None had expected that the day would turn into such confusion when just prior the World Summit had ended early. Many had left for the comfort of their homes, hoping to take the extra time to relax with peace and quiet. But for some... such tranquility would have to wait.

Nine letters, each sent in secret to a different nation, arrived without warning of their existence, simply appearing as if by magic. None knew where they had come from; the strange envelopes bore no return address... nor did any one nation know of the existence of the other eight letters being received.

Despite this, unknowingly all of the messages were identical inside, bearing the same cryptic request of whomever it had been sent to:

_'Meet me in the garden courtyard at the given address. _You'll know where. _We're going to be playing a game and all the nations are invited to play! You'd better show up if you don't want to be left out...'_

The notes bore no signature, nor could handwriting be deciphered, the typing appearing to be mechanized. The languages were different, but the address which the sender had provided was the same. Strangely, no one had been given any indication about this game prior to the invitations, nor did any understand why they should already '_know where_', as stated.

Some had come for the fun of a challenge, the prospect of a game most appealing. Others arrived out of curiosity, hoping to find out who had really sent the mysterious letters. Either way, the end result was achieved. And so, as expected of them, each one had obeyed the mysterious summons.

All nine were now present.

Each had come to the address given, only to find a garden of massive and grand proportions awaiting. A courtyard lay at it's center, surrounded by two half-circular walls of dense hedges, cut to perfection. What lay beyond this could not be seen, yet interest was piqued.

Curious or not, suspicions were also easily aroused... discussion and accusations broke out amongst the honored guests. _'Who sent these letters?' _Each questioned in turn of their companions, yet no one knew. So they stood alone, waiting for some sign, any indication of the 'game' which the mystery writer had posed for them to attend.

_As per request... their sign had been given._

The entrance, blocked, an iron door of immense size closing them in with no hope of escape as the stage was set. Locked from the opposing side, it would not budge. The hedges which surrounded the courtyard extended so far above that even the tallest could not see over, though from outside it did not appear as such. Leaves and branched too thick to go through, and hard stones and packed earth at their feet left no alternative means of exit. They were quite thoroughly trapped, and not even aware of why.

_There lay only one other way out..._

A second door lay opposite their entrance, appearing to lead only into more shrubbery. This door was just as massive, extensive carvings lay detailed in the elegantly stained wood, contrasting the polished steel of it's twin. Beautiful though it may have been, this one seemed strangely darker in the stark lighting that had taken hold as clouds clustered above.

Wood lay battered and rotting, splinters apparent from years of age. It's grandly oversized handle and hinges lay eroding away with rust, time tarnishing once glimmering copper with green. Everything looked antiqued, even for the massive size, and greatly aged as if such a complex had been devised centuries ago. This door marked their only way out... so long as it remained unlocked.

There was no longer a second option granted; they had to go through, or stay and hope to be somehow set free. The idea of this did not seem very inviting to any.

Discus they did, most fervently as was to be expected, but all turned out the same no matter how many words passed. None really had a choice in the mater now. The decision was made, they would enter as one... hoping to find nothing more than the other end of the garden where an exit should lay.

The game had started.

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_Nine little mice, lost in a maze...  
Can't find an exit, stuck in a daze. _  
_Flee little mice! Run far away! _  
_Never get out... Can't get away..._

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**Ok! Hopefully that got somebody's attention! I hope so, otherwise I have failed as a writer! T_T **

**Just kidding. Anyways, the next chaper will be up as soon as possible, in the meantime anyone have any ideas as to who the 9 hetalia characters are? If you get them all right, I will give you a homemade virtual cookie! ^_^**


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